Funland unveils the Superflip 360
This season, Funland will unveil its wildest thrill ride yet, the SuperFlip 360.
Taking the place of the original Superflip, the SuperFlip 360 takes the idea of Funland’s popular Sea Dragon ride and turns it upside down. Literally.
The Sea Dragon rocks back and forth, but the new SuperFlip 360 makes complete, 360-degree loops. The rider is strapped into a 12-seat circular gondola. The metal platform then moves away, leaving the rider’s feet dangling in the air, before the ride begins to swing back and forth. The SuperFlip 360 builds momentum as the rider goes up 40 feet in the air and, hangs for a long moment, giving an upside down view of Rehoboth. The ride then begins going around and around in loops before slowing down and returning to the ground. In all, the SuperFlip 360 ride lasts about two minutes.
“It’s an intense two minutes,” said Funland head of maintenance Randy Curry.
Funland representatives got the idea for the ride after experiencing a similar ride at Fun Spot America in Kissimmee, Fla. called the Headrush 360, Curry said. The earlier version of the SuperFlip was a three-car, four-seat ride that featured individual cars flipping around 360 degrees as the ride moved in a circle.
Lynne Henschke, spokeswoman for Funland, said the ride was replaced because of footprint and maintenance considerations. She said the SuperFlip 360 is much easier to maintain and allows the park to maximize the space while getting passengers in and out quickly. At peak season, Funland expects about 250 riders per hour.
Curry said the ride came in on two 40-foot trailers and was assembled in about a day. Each seat is individual, he said, but is bolted into the gondola frame. Despite its thrills the SuperFlip 360 is very smooth. Riders have to be 48 inches to ride and, because the restraint system may not be able to hold them, a maximum of 76 inches, or about 6-feet-7 inches tall.
Funland is open weekends starting Saturday, May, 13 before moving to seven days a week starting Memorial Day weekend. Read more about Funland at funlandrehoboth.com.
